Improvement in bbeech-loading fire-arms



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SAMES E. McBETH, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR TO HIM- SELF AND SHELDON STURGEONDF THE SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 73,357, dated January 14, 1868.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: 4

I Be it known that I, JAMES E. McBETH, of New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans, and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

' The present invention consists in providing a case or box for the lock and trigger, and their necessary connecting parts, which is separate and distinct from the other portion of the fire-arm, and in-so hanging such box or case as to swing upon pivots of the fire-arm, and thus allow-thebrcech-cnd of the barrel to be opened for inserting or removing a cartridge, &c., and closed,- it being held-closed by means of a spring-catcher dog, suitably arranged therefor. In the accompanying plateof drawings, my improvement in fire-arm is illustrated- I Figure 1 being a central longitudinal section through the breech of a barrel to a fire-arm box or case for holding the lock and trigger and butt or stock, and

Figure 2 a transverse vertical section, taken in the plane of the'line z a, fig. 1,-with the lock and triggerbox or case swung out of line with the barrel. I

Similar letters of reference indicute'like parts. I v

-A, in the drawings, represents the barrel of a fire-arm, connected and fastened througb aframe, B, to the stock or butt G. The frame B, at thebreech-end of the barrel, is-cut out or left open, and in this opening is placed a box or case, D, that, by screw-pins or pivots a, is hung to the-frame B at or near its under edge E, so as to swing thereon, and thus into or out of line with the barrel and its breech-framel In this be); or case D, the cock F and trigger G are hung, with the cocking-trigger H, the parts being arranged and operating'ns and in a manner similar to that described in the schedule annexed to-Lettcrs Patent granted to me on the 2d day of October, A. D. 1866, and therefore needing no particular explanation herein.- I, 'a spring-dog or catch,

hung in frame B, in proper position to engage with a notch, J, in the ease or box D, and thus to .hold'it in position, and in line with the barrel when swung to such position. a, a groove in rear end of box or case D.- This groove extends in a circular direction, with the pivot a at such and as the'centreg cl, aspring, fastened at one end in frame 13, and projecting at its free end a into the circular groove 0. I

The mode of operation of the parts above described is as follows: By a backward pressure of the end, 111.,

to the dog or catch I, against its spring n, the end of said dog is withdrawn from the notch J, and the spring 01 operates to throw out the ease or box D, and into and against the palm of the hand of the person holding the piece. Inthe event of the spring at getting out of order, the case can be swung out and'into the palm of the left hand by simply pressing it out with the fingersof the left hand, and in order to do this, the case or box is held in the middle of the left hand, the palm on the left, side, and the'fingers on the right side. When the case D is out suificiently, the cartridge can be inserted in the bore. The case-is swing back into proper positionsimply by pushing it suflieiently with the palm of the left hand. I The, left side of the end of the dog or catch is bevelled, so that the right side of the case or box coming against it will cause it to recede, in order to allow it to pass, and when opposite the notch'J, will immediately fall into it by means of the spring a. The proje'ctiou m onthe dog I is not intended to project above the top ofthe piece, but is sunk in a recess large-enough to allow the thumb-nail to work freely, and no more, the reason for which is obvious.

Q, a lever, hung in breech-end of-barrel A, for ejecting the shell of the cartridge.

The fire-arm can be rendered uselessby taking out the pivots aa,'which allows the lock-case to be removed:

and carried about the person, or thrown away. i

- I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- V The close-hinged box D, in which are completely encased thej'lock and cook, and which is held in position by means of the spring-dog I, as and for the purposes specified.

The above specification of my invention signed by me, this 9th day of April, 1867.

JAMES E. MeBElH. Witnesses:

Jive. S. COSBAY, W. G. Janus. 

